ar an drochuair
The Irish phrase for "unfortunately" is ar an drochuair.
ar an drochuair is used to describe something happening through bad luck.
Meaning: happening through bad luck (adv)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "on the bad luck".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Munster dialect, the regional variation ar an drochscéal is used.
Did you know?
- If you were to look at the root of 'ar', you might find a connection to the ancient act of 'ploughing', as one of its historical forms was the verbal noun for 'to plough'.
- The word uair in the phrase means 'hour', but in this context, it refers to a specific moment or a stretch of time rather than a strict sixty-minute period.
Example conversation
Conor and Niamh are discussing a football match.
- ConorAn bhfuil an cluiche ar siúl?Is the game on?
- NiamhAr an drochuair, cuireadh é i postoperative.Unfortunately, it was postponed.
- ConorAn bhfuil sé an rainist?Is it because of the rain?
- NiamhTá, tá an páirc ró-fhuar.Yes, the pitch is too cold.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries an, ar, drochuair, CC BY-SA 4.0.
